Pearl of Great Price (Mormonism)

Pearl of Great Price is one of the volumes of scripture of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, a Christian faith whose members are often called Mormons. It includes portions of the Bible translated by Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, some translations of the writings of the prophet Abraham from ancient Egyptian writings, excerpts from Smith’s testimony, and the Church’s thirteen Articles of Faith. Pearl of Great Price is one of the four volumes of Mormon scripture that are regarded as the standard works. The title of the volume is taken from the Bible, Matthew 13: 45–46, in which the kingdom of God on earth is said to be a “pearl of great price.”

Background

The Mormons are members of a religious group that follows the teachings of the Old and New Testaments of the Christian Bible as well as the writings of their modern prophets. Most are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS), which is based in Salt Lake City, Utah, although some are members of smaller denominations such as the Community of Christ, which is based in Independence, Missouri. The Mormon faith was officially founded in 1830 when The Book of Mormon was published.

Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, was born on December 23, 1805, in Vermont. At the age of fourteen, he said he had received a vision from God and Jesus, and three years later, he said an angel visited him. The angel, Moroni, told him he had been chosen to translate a sacred text written about the fourth century by Mormon, the angel’s father. On September 22, 1823, Moroni revealed that the text was inscribed on golden plates located near Palmyra, New York, but Smith was not permitted to get them until four years later. Smith said that while he was translating the Book of Mormon, John the Baptist appeared to him and told him to preach the true Gospel. John conferred the Aaronic Priesthood on Smith; this refers to Aaron the Levite, the first high priest of the Hebrews, and his lineage.

After Smith published the Book of Mormon in 1830, the faith grew quickly. He set up communities of Mormons in Illinois, Missouri, and Ohio. However, he often faced persecution, and in 1844, he and his brother were murdered by a mob while in jail in Carthage, Illinois. Smith’s death led to a schism in the Mormon faith. Brigham Young emerged as the leader of the largest group of Mormons, which included around sixteen thousand members. Under Young's leadership, this group migrated to Utah during the 1850s in order to escape religious persecution.

Many Christians do not consider Mormonism a Christian faith because their fundamental beliefs are very different. Christians believe in the Holy Trinity, which is God as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit existing as one being, while Mormons believe they are three individual deities. Mormons believe in three levels of heaven: celestial, terrestrial, and telestial. Only those who attain the celestial kingdom will be in the presence of God. The LDS church believes that after the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, were driven out of the Garden of Eden, they lived in Daviess County, Missouri.

Overview

In addition to the Christian Bible, Mormons also follow the teachings of three other texts: The Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. The Pearl of Great Price contains the core beliefs of Mormonism in the thirteen-point Articles of Faith.

The Pearl of Great Price was first published in 1851 by Franklin D. Richards, the president of the Mormon Church’s British Mission. It provided a concise overview of the faith. The text was officially canonized as scripture on October 10, 1880. The contents of the text have varied somewhat, with portions added and removed at various times. Since 1902, the Pearl of Great Price has included five sections: the Book of Moses, which contains excerpts from Smith’s translation of Genesis; Joseph Smith—Matthew, which is excerpts of Smith’s translation of Matthew 24; the Book of Abraham, which is Smith’s translation of an Egyptian papyrus he purchased in 1835; Joseph Smith—History, which is an excerpt from Smith’s 1838 history of the church; and the Articles of Faith, thirteen points of belief and doctrine.

The Book of Moses dates to June 1830 and is Smith’s description of what has been revealed to him about Old Testament figures. The text also contains the messages from God to Moses. Much of it details creation and the stories about Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and after their fall from grace.

The Book of Abraham is a first-person account of the Old Testament figure. Smith’s translation of the information on the papyrus was first published in 1842 in the church’s newspaper. Smith was also translating the Bible and completed a revision of the New Testament. Joseph Smith—Matthew is his account of the many signs that will precede the return of Jesus. The Church published this text in a broadside around 1835.

Smith began writing his life story and the early history of the Mormon Church in 1838. Over the years, church officials added to the account until it covered his whole life. This biography was published in the church newspaper in serial form beginning in 1842 and later in book form. Joseph Smith—History in the Pearl of Great Price is an excerpt from the biography. It covers his birth and childhood, his first visions, encounters with the angel Moroni, the gold plates, his marriage to Emma Hale, Smith’s translation of the Book of Mormon, his experience with John the Baptist, and the baptisms of Smith and Oliver Cowdery, his scribe. Smith wrote the Articles of Faith in a letter to John Wentworth, the editor of the Chicago Democrat. These thirteen points were later published elsewhere and were added to the Pearl of Great Price.

Bibliography

Casanova, Amanda. “Everything You Need to Know about Mormon Beliefs and Latter-Day Saints.” Christianity, 14 Nov. 2024, www.christianity.com/church/denominations/are-mormons-christians-10-things-to-know-about-the-church-of-latter-day-saints.html. Accessed 16 Jan. 2025.

Givens, Terryl, and Brian Hauglid. The Pearl of Greatest Price: Mormonism’s Most Controversial Scripture. Oxford University Press, 2019.

“LDS Article Addresses Origin of Book of Abraham.” KUER, 9 July 2014, www.kuer.org/post/lds-article-addresses-origin-book-abraham. Accessed 16 Jan. 2025.

“Mormons.” History, 7 Oct. 2021, www.history.com/topics/religion/mormons. Accessed 16 Jan. 2025.

“The Mormons: Frequently Asked Questions.” PBS, 30 Apr. 2007, www.pbs.org/mormons/faqs. Accessed 16 Jan. 2025.

Nelson, Thomas. “Matthew 13:45-46 NKJV - The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price.” Bible Gateway, www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2013%3A45-46&version=NKJV. Accessed 16 Jan. 2025.

“The Pearl of Great Price.” The Joseph Smith Papers, www.josephsmithpapers.org/site/the-pearl-of-great-price. Accessed 16 Jan. 2025.

“Pearl of Great Price.” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics/pearl-of-great-price?lang=eng. Accessed 16 Jan. 2025.

“Scriptures.” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics/scriptures?lang=eng. Accessed 16 Jan. 2025.